Thanks to Sheng Fuzhou's impeccable sleep quality, Liang Qiao managed to get everyone back to the dormitory without incident—no chaotic moment of two people waking up at once. Watching Wei Ting being led into the dormitory building by his roommate, she silently breathed a sigh of relief and turned back toward the car.
The moment she sat down, someone who had somehow slipped into the back seat pounced on her, filling her arms. But Liang Qiao didn't startle in the slightest. She half-encircled his waist and said, "Sit properly."
"Oh—" he drawled, dragging the sound out as he reluctantly straightened up. Just as he was about to pull away from her, he took advantage of the 0916's slight inertia as it started moving and tumbled back down, swinging his legs over as well.
"Sitting properly now."
Not sitting on her…
…Whatever.
Liang Qiao didn't voice either of those thoughts. She tapped lightly on the car's display screen, silently switching on Do Not Disturb mode. As soon as the windows darkened, Chu Hui grew even bolder, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and folding himself bonelessly into her embrace, his cheek pressed tightly against the side of her neck. "Headache," he said.
Liang Qiao asked, "Didn't you only drink half a bottle?"
He said with complete justification, "Pei Qiansu's noise gave it to me."
"…" Liang Qiao paused, then said, "Want me to rub it for you?"
"No need," he said, tilting his head up, his gaze fixed on her without wavering. "Give me a kiss instead."
Kiss, and kiss again—as if no matter how much they were together, it was never enough. Chu Hui hadn't expected himself to be like this in a relationship, but on second thought, it wasn't really about the relationship itself. It was simply because the person he was dating was Liang Qiao.
When the long kiss finally ended, the two of them returned to talking about the day in the 0916's quiet rush through the night—the Union Security Agency's list, their friends' plans. Today's lively gathering felt like a prelude to parting; everyone had said their final goodbyes at the crossroads, and soon they would each head down their own paths in life.
Compared to Liang Qiao, Chu Hui wasn't feeling particularly wistful. He even comforted her, saying, "It's not like we're saying goodbye forever. If you want to see someone, you'll always find a way."
Liang Qiao said "Mm," then added, "I got a message during dinner. I have to report to the Union Security Agency next Monday."
Chu Hui asked, "And then?"
"An evaluation and training period," Liang Qiao said. "I don't know if I'll be assigned to Landu. I might be sent to the new district."
"Ah—" Chu Hui wasn't happy about that. His file was still in the application stage, and he couldn't leave Landu freely, which meant the two of them might not see each other for a long time again.
"How long will it take?"
Liang Qiao said, "Three to six months."
"I can't live," Chu Hui said, all the strength draining from his body in an instant as he buried his head against her chest. "By the time you come back, all you'll find is a me who died from missing you."
A hint of a smile curved at the corners of Liang Qiao's lips. She reached out and stroked the soft hair at the back of his head, saying, "Then what should we do?"
"We can't waste these next two days," Chu Hui said, looking up at her, cradling her face in his hands with exaggerated seriousness. "Why was I still able to get out of bed yesterday? You didn't try hard enough at all."
Liang Qiao said, "I really did try very hard."
Seeing how cooperatively she played along, Chu Hui couldn't help but laugh. "I'm not satisfied. Today we have to write a full tally mark."
Liang Qiao's expression didn't change in the slightest, her tone as natural as if she were discussing work. She asked, "Where are we writing it this time?"
Chu Hui bit her lip as he kissed her, slowly pulling her hand over to rest on his lower abdomen.
Liang Qiao was very beautiful.
Chu Hui had always known this fact—otherwise, that side-profile photo that someone had uploaded to the academy's public network wouldn't have spread so widely, with people still reposting and discussing it even now, occasionally asking which academy and which student this was.
At 17, during entrance training, wearing the same uniform as everyone else, cap on head.
The blazing sunlight cast a deep shadow beneath the brim across those striking brows and eyes, carrying a unique youthful rawness and an aloofness that kept others at arm's length.
He had never paid attention to such things before—in fact, he only stumbled upon that photo by chance after he and Liang Qiao had already confirmed their relationship. He swiped past it, then swiped back, recognizing her at a single glance. Tapping in, he found nearly a thousand comments of all kinds beneath it.
At that moment, Liang Qiao was sitting right across from him—the same silent study seat in the library—close enough to touch. She was looking down, focused intently on some material. He couldn't tear his attention from her 17-year-old photo back to his exam prep in such a short time, so he could only steal a glance at her, and seeing that she wasn't looking at him, he began comparing her silhouette against the photo through the back panel of the light screen.
"Focus."
The voice in his memory merged with the one by his ear. Chu Hui even felt a belated wave of drunkenness rush to his head—otherwise, he couldn't possibly be this dazed. He struggled to lift his head and let out a muffled sound, trying to curl his legs up.
But he didn't succeed.
Right now, aside from his tears, nothing about him was under his own control—everything else had a different owner. If she wanted him to live, he lived; if she wanted him to die, he died. Every sensation was like a pool filled to the brim with water, already unable to hold any more, yet someone kept pouring in relentlessly, so the surface could only slosh and spill over the edges.
"Liang Qiao… Liang Qiao…"
He called her name twice, his pupils drifting upward, casting a scattered gaze upon her—pleading, beseeching. Love and desire grant a person the ability to speak through their eyes, and she understood, of course. She lowered her head to press a gentle kiss against his thick, dense lashes, soothing him: "Almost done."
…
Liar!
Several more minutes passed, and Chu Hui still hadn't reached the "done" she promised. He swore inwardly that he wouldn't act so wanton for the next week, while lying face-down on the pillow, on the verge of tears, saying: "Are you done yet—"
"Mhm, almost."
"It's been so long…"
"Didn't you say we shouldn't waste time?"
"…I've already held on for a long time."
"Mhm, reward for you."
"Don't want it—" Tears finally spilled out. He bit into the pillow and sobbed in a continuous stream, saying: "Liang Qiao, you're going to fuck me to death."
"Click—"
The lights in the room cut off abruptly. A new round of power-restriction days had begun.
Chu Hui didn't know what hour in the early morning he'd fallen asleep. All he knew was that he was woken by a comm notification. Frowning, he burrowed deeper into the covers, eyes still shut, mumbling vaguely: "Liang Qiao… Liang Qiao…"
She was already up. Hearing his voice, she came over and saw that it was Sheng Fuzhou. Not daring to answer rashly, she reminded him: "It's Sheng Fuzhou."
Chu Hui said, "Just answer it. It's so noisy, I want to sleep."
Liang Qiao asked, "Are you sure?"
Chu Hui let out a grunt and didn't reply.
She had no choice but to transfer the call to her own Terminal, stepping out onto the balcony before picking up. Choosing her words carefully, she said, "Hello, this is Liang Qiao."
"Ah—" What came through from the other end was almost a shriek. Sheng Fuzhou's tone was nothing short of despair as he said, "So it wasn't a dream after all!"
Liang Qiao said, "…I don't think it is."
"You're really together? When? How did you even get together! Was it this time last year? I knew it—I said he was going out every single day! Where is he now!"
Liang Qiao paused for a moment, then chose to answer the last question. "…He's sleeping."
Sheng Fuzhou could hardly believe what he was hearing. "You've already gotten to this stage! Were you going to wait until you got married to tell me! Does Chu Hui even consider me a friend!"
Liang Qiao said, "…I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize!" He cut her off immediately. "If anyone should apologize, it's Chu Hui. Put him on the line!"
"He's sleeping," Liang Qiao said, deliberating for a moment. "He drank yesterday. He might be a bit tired."
"He didn't drink at all yesterday! He—" Sheng Fuzhou's voice was drowned out by another vibration. Liang Qiao looked at the light screen, where the name "Pei Qiansu" was starkly displayed. After a moment of hesitation, she pressed the answer button.
"Liang Qiao! I'm telling you, I really had a nightmare. I fing—I fing can't even—I swear, you wouldn't believe what I dreamed about. Yesterday we were drinking, right, and then—" She was rambling incoherently, barely stringing together the account of her dream before blurting out, "And you actually ended up with that vase!"
Liang Qiao said, "This might not be a night—"
"Who are you calling a vase!"
"Sheng Fuzhou! You bitch, what are you doing here?!"
"I was calling Chu Hui, but who knew Liang Qiao would answer! Who are you calling a bitch?!"
"You have the nerve to say that! It must be Chu Hui who seduced Liang Qiao—otherwise why would she ever be with him!"
"Oh, and you know that for a fact? For all I know, Liang Qiao pursued Chu Hui first."
"Our Liang Qiao can barely say a word—how would she pursue anyone? You think Chu Hui is some peerless beauty that everyone has to fall for?"
"Who would like someone as mute as Liang Qiao anyway! It must be Chu Hui who bewitched her—did you teach her how to chase someone!"
"You're insane, you idiot. Your emotional module and socialization training are worse than a Bionic straight off the production line…"
"…"
Liang Qiao returned inside. Chu Hui, half-awake, cracked his eyes open and reached for her to hold him, resting his head in her lap as he asked, "What did Sheng Fuzhou say?"
Liang Qiao said, "Mm. Nothing much, really."
Chu Hui asked, "Did he hang up?"
"No," Liang Qiao said, gesturing toward the balcony. "He's still out there arguing with Pei Qiansu."
Chu Hui sobered up a few degrees, lifting his head to look at her with a bewildered expression. "…Huh?"
…
Pei Qiansu and Sheng Fuzhou kept arguing all the way until Chu Hui got up to eat breakfast.
He propped his head on his hand, eating while he listened. When they ran out of insults to hurl at each other, he said, "Keep going. I haven't finished my breakfast yet."
Pei Qiansu found it hard to accept that she'd heard Sheng Fuzhou and Chu Hui's voices on Liang Qiao's communication channel, but she was too spent to keep yelling now. She demanded viciously, "Why didn't you tell me sooner!"
Chu Hui said, "Telling you two is one thing—we just want some peace and quiet."
Sheng Fuzhou said, "You could have told us after graduation!"
Chu Hui took another bite of breakfast and said, "Never found the right moment."
"Then why now?"
"The moment came."
His calm, matter-of-fact attitude made Pei and Sheng's interrogation seem like a childish tantrum. Sheng Fuzhou was so angry his head hurt. "This is colluding with the enemy—you're betraying Group 7!"
Chu Hui looked utterly unbothered. "Sorry, but my wife matters more."
Pei Qiansu said, "Ahhh, don't say that—I really can't handle it!"
Chu Hui said, "What do you want me to do? Video call and give you a kiss?"
"Go die!"
Chu Hui said, "Alright, not telling you two was my decision. I apologize and make amends."
Pei Qiansu didn't hold back. "Where's the amends?"
"They should already be in the parcel locker. Open the balcony door and take a look."
Hearing this, Liang Qiao, sitting beside him, shot him a puzzled look—though she'd understood his intention to go public when he asked her to come over yesterday, and today he'd simply acknowledged it naturally, when had he even prepared gifts?
There was silence on the other end for two or three minutes, then Pei Qiansu's voice came through. "What is this? A car system account…"
Realizing what she was holding, her tone shifted instantly. "Wishing you a lifetime of happiness."
Sheng Fuzhou had probably also received something expensive and perfectly suited to his tastes, because he soon started talking excitedly on his end too. Chu Hui narrowed his eyes with a smile, then produced two rings from somewhere, handing one to her. "You have a gift too, but you have to put mine on me first."
Liang Qiao finally understood that all of this had been long premeditated. Equal parts amused and exasperated, she asked, "When did you prepare these?"
Chu Hui said, "A long time ago. I don't even remember."
For a moment, she couldn't tell whether what she felt was deep emotion or something else. She was silent for a beat, then followed his instruction and slipped the ring onto his finger. "What does this count as?"
"Whatever you want it to be," Chu Hui said, still smiling. He casually cut off their call, then slid the ring meant for her onto her finger. "A boyfriend's ring. A puppy's collar. My watermark."
Here we go again.
Liang Qiao reached out to cover his mouth, but Chu Hui still leaned in until they touched through the barrier of her palm. Only then did he look into her eyes and say, "Now, you can kiss me."